The Seven Kingdoms
by TheIllusionIsReal
Summary: 20 years after the events of Tangled: Ever After, Eugene and Rapunzel's son struggles to find his destiny. A sinister plot is uncovered to bring the Seven Kingdoms, already on the brink of chaos, to full-scale war. With the help of unlikely allies from kingdoms across the land (with Arendelle), Horrace must find a way to unite the Seven Kingdoms or risk losing everything he loves.
1. Chapter 1

"Horace, what are you doing?"

"Looking."

"At what? Max's neck?"

"No. Just looking."

"Alright." A small smirk crossed the older man's face. Chocolate brown hair, now laced with a small amount of gray, fell over his ears. Eugene Fitzherbert scratched absentmindedly at his also-graying goatee. A decade ago, the gray would have disturbed him to no end, but as he and Rapunzel had grown older, his relentless self-appreciation had withered. At forty-five, he and his wife had settled into a happy tempo at the castle. She was all he needed, and he didn't need to look perfect for her to love him.

The sixteen-year-old riding in front of him hadn't said anything during his musing. A look of conflict and annoyance was prominently displayed across his face. This recently acquired demeanor stemmed from a recent argument with his mother.

_Just give him time, Sunshine. He'll figure himself out. _Thinking back to his teenage days as Flynn Rider, Eugene knew that sometimes, patience was the only solution to angst. Their only child would have to rule a kingdom one day, the most powerful kingdom in the world. It couldn't be easy for a boy to comprehend fully and certainly hindered him from doing many things kids his age enjoyed.

_Like competing in the Challenge of the Brave. _Horace had asked for months to compete, but the royal council was adamant that he not participate. It seemed that the advisors did more parenting than he or Rapunzel was able to.

"I'm sorry about the Challenge. I know you wanted to compete. But your mother and I-"

"Mom competed when she was younger! Why can't I? It's not fair!" Horace was finally letting some emotion slip. Like taking a chisel to a dam.

"I know son, it's just... different, now. With all of the instability going on in the kingdoms, the royal council doesn't think it's a good idea to-"

"I don't care! It wasn't a good idea to be a thief for two decades but that brought you to mom! This my chance to prove I have what it takes to be like the other knights!"

Ouch. The mention of the life he had once lived stung.

"Being a knight? Horace, you are going to be _king _one day. We can't take the risk-"

"Can't take the risk?" Horace was visibly angry now. "Was it risky to climb the tower for mom, dad? To get _stabbed_? You and mom used to be all _about _risk! What happened? I'm _tired _of the council!"

"Horace-"

"Save it, dad. I've heard enough excuses. Come on, Max, let's go." As he kicked at Max to speed up, the loyal horse looked back at Eugene questioningly. Eugene nodded covertly to give his approval, and his son raced away on the white stallion.

_Oh, Rapunzel... _He sighed. _Who knew our biggest adventure would be parenting?_

He kicked at his horse to make his way towards the castle.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

"Mooooom!"

Anna perked up from her book. A mother just knew when something was important.

"Coming!" She replied to the concerned voice upstairs. As she ascended the steps, she was suddenly whisked away to the past. Her fingers traced the same oak patterns as they had so many times on the way to her sister's room as a child.

_We were so naive then. _She mused. Now, as a Queen and as a matriarch, she had the opportunity to impart her motherly wisdom to her daughter. Whatever obstacle had been encountered, Anna's motherly love and guidance could overcome-

"Purple and Gold? Do I seriously have to wear this?" The exasperated princess of Arendelle was holding a poofy dress, with ornate satin wrapping around the sleeves.

_So much for the wisdom of a mother..._

"These are the royal colors of Corona!" Anna's fingers now cradled her forehead. "It's only for a day! You are representing our kingdom! What better way to show unity than to wear the colors of our sister nation?"

"This was _your _idea, not mine! You've never even _met _the King and Queen of Corona! They're thirty years older than you, and now it's up to _me_ to bridge _your _gap?" The princess let out a large sigh and melodramatically fainted onto her bed.

"I think my fifteen-year-old Anja can handle a wardrobe change for a day!" The teasing in her father's voice caught the girl on the bed's attention. Kristoff mock saluted his daughter and lunged towards her screaming figure with a fit of tickling. Fairly soon, the family was drawing battle lines for the pillow fight that was rapidly eroding the room's cleanliness.

The brawl was getting underway as a servant interrupted.

"The horses and carriage are ready, your highness." The portly assistant slid his glasses up his large nose.

"Thank you, Geoff," Anna replied. The trio made their way through the halls and out into the courtyard.

As they reached the carriage, Anna gripped Kristoff's hand tighter. Kristoff squeezed back and held the door for his wife and daughter as they entered.

"The kingdom is in good hands, your majesty" Kristoff playfully reassured Anna.

"The whole kingdom to yourself, eh?" Anna returned his joking gaze.

Kristoff made a big show of scratching his chin. "I've always wanted to change out your tulip garden for some good old fashioned carrots..."

"You wouldn't dare!" Anna feigned disdain before grabbing his hands and planting a kiss on his lips.

"I love you. Stay safe, and bring me back some of those famous pastries from their head chef, please!" Kristoff pleaded as he broke away. He was serious about everything he said, including the deserts.

"We'll be safe, and I'll bring enough cupcakes for you _and _Sven" Anna promised sincerely. "I love you too!"

The carriage slowly rolled away, leaving Kristoff to his thoughts. As he walked back to the castle, he breathed a shaky sigh outwards. It always concerned him for his family to be away, but he knew Anna and Anja could take care of themselves.

"Come on, Sven," He called to his trusty partner, who snorted in return.

"We've got a lot to do before dinner now that Anna isn't here."

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

The ride out of Arendelle was uneventful, to say the least. Anja watched, half dozing, as the dark green grass and wildflowers of the fjord slowly faded into the brighter, warmer colors of the inland.

_At least the weather will be warmer, _She mused. Corona was the most important trade partner Arendelle had, according to her study books. The capital was situated on an island, while the outlying towns provided plentiful crops to supply the merchants and businesses of the city. Arendelle provided many northern resources like ice and lumber, and Corona sent processed the materials back to create a healthy, mutually beneficial system.

_Ugh, even textbooks seem interesting compared to this. _

The ride was boring, but at least the prospects of tomorrow were interesting. The "Contest of the Brave" was world-renowned, bringing in fighters from across the Kingdoms. It was one of the few remaining events that brought them together, rather than wedge them apart.

Anja looked across to her mother, who was already passed out against the windowsill, sucking on a long strand of her rapidly growing bedhead. She couldn't help but laugh, and her semi-awakened mother mumbled something before collapsing again into her slumber.

The sun was setting, and it was growing dark outside. Anja watched as the mountains in the distance slowly moved under the stars until she finally succumbed to her sleep.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Eugene was currently busy trying to console a _slightly_ anxious brunette.

"Where is Horace? He should be here! What if he got angry and decided not to come?! What if I-"

"Shhh, it's okay, Sunshine," Eugene soothed as he placed his arm around her. "He's probably running late from practice. Give him some time!" His confident grin was always enough to calm Rapunzel's fears. She took some deep breaths as she began to relax. It was her _job _to be worried. He was her _son. _It was Rapunzel's top priority to keep him safe and happy, but as of late, the two priorities had been clashing...

"Did you talk to him about the council's decision on the Contest?" She asked.

"I did, and he wasn't happy." Eugene's smile lessened somewhat. "I think it's ridiculous, personally. It's a moderated event, and he should have the chance to compete and blow off some steam."

"The council might have been a good idea, but for the last five years it feels like my parents have had less and less control over the kingdom." Rapunzel quietly stated. It was true, they couldn't even permit their own son to compete in an event, for heavens sakes!

Eugene started to add his thoughts on the matter but was interrupted by the sounds of trumpets filling the square.

"Presenting, his royal highness, King Trevor I of Equis!" The announcer standing on a podium declared. Eugene tensed up as he waited for the King to exit his vehicle. He was greeted by a small, elderly man with a large, grandiose crown.

"Prince Fitzherbert, Princess Rapunzel? In true Coronian fashion, the King sends his pets to do even his greetings." He stated with a look of distaste on his face.

"The King and Queen are attending to important business at the stadium. Sorry for any inconvenience, your majesty" Rapunzel curtsied with a pained, grinding smile on her face.

_Trevor may be a jerk, but we still need to treat him well to preserve international relations. _Her thoughts mourned.

As the tiny king made his way up the steps behind them, Eugene straightened his back.

"Only five more to go. Shouldn't be too hard!" He nudged Rapunzel with the heel of his boot.

"I'm just dreading the dinner tonight," Rapunzel gloomily replied.

"Oh, come on, Blondie! It won't be _that _bad!" Eugene reassured her.

"I don't think you realize how hostile the Seven Kingdoms are right now, Eugene," Rapunzel stated flatly. "This is one of the only times we will have all of the leaders in one place for the next _year_! Dad wants this to run perfectly to keep the peace."

"Yikes, that's a lot of pressure. The old man is what, seventy now? How much longer is he going to keep at it?" Eugene wondered aloud.

"He says he's going to retire once my mom turns seventy, in around two years. Who knows what will happen with the council, though," Rapunzel sighed.

Eugene saw her perk up as another figure entered the square.

"Sorry I'm late," Horace stated plainly as he took his place next to Rapunzel, just in time to shake the hand of the Griffin of Pittsford.

"I see your son is showing his true Coronian colors with this display of tardiness." The portly Griffin stated with a scowl as he grabbed Eugene's hand. His eyes looked up and down Horace's outfit.

"Sloppy."

Horace flushed a bright red and looked down at his boots. Eugene was about to retort to the rotund, short man in front of him but was cut short by Rapunzel whisking the Griffin away from them and up the stairs.

_This was going to be a long evening..._

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

Anja was getting impatient. Their carriage had ground to a halt as they waited in line to be greeted by the monarchy.

"This is going to be soooo boring." She whined. Her mother seemed to share her sentiment.

"Ever since becoming Queen, I have always been the youngest of my peers. It gets tedious trying to be heard when everyone thinks you're inexperienced." Anna was obviously annoyed. Her emotions were never a secret, and a scowl was plastered on her face.

When even _Mom _wasn't looking forward to something, you knew you were in trouble. Anja let out an enormous sigh and slouched in her seat. At least the Contest tomorrow had the potential to be interesting.

As her mother finished wrangling the last strand of bed-head back into a tight bun, Anja straightened her dress out as well. They were up next, after the Duchess of Quintonia. A slight bubble of worry formed in her stomach and her brow creased ever so slightly. Suddenly, she felt a reassuring hand on her back. Feeling better already, she gave a small smile to her mother and walked out into the bright noonday sun.

As Anna exited the carriage, she congratulated herself silently. Motherly wisdom finally had a chance to shine. Her small celebration was interrupted by the loud voice of the announcer.

"Presenting Queen Anna and Princess Anja of Arendelle!" The man yelled to the audience below. Waiting to shake the hands of the duo were the monarchs. _Younger _monarchs. Anna's confusion was visible as she reached to shake the hand of the teenager in front of her.

_There is no way these are the rulers of Corona._ She worked these new figures over in her mind.

The teenager in front of her was doing his best to remain stoic and collected but was giving away his discomfort with the rapid tapping of his boot behind him. His deep hazel eyes reminded her of Kritoff's, almost amber. His most striking feature was his brilliant gold hair, tucked tidily behind his ears in a pony-bun. He was dressed in a smart-looking but plain traveling tunic, which she found slightly odd, but didn't question. As she enthusiastically shook his hand, he introduced himself as Horace, young Prince of Corona.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Horace," Anna told him sincerely before moving to the older couple to his left. The two adults couldn't have been much older than her. The excited lady with stunning green eyes and suave gentleman with a goatee were both dressed properly in purple and gold attire.

"Welcome, Queen Anna," the lady greeted. "It's our pleasure to host you for the next couple of days. My name is Rapunzel, Princess of Corona, and this is my husband, Prince Eugene Fitzherbert"

A _prince _and a _princess_! This made sense now.

"It is absolutely my pleasure to be here!" Anna replied warmly. "Is something wrong?" She was questioning the huge look of relief crossing the trio's faces.

"Your Majesty, you are the first arrival today that has been even remotely pleasant to talk to," Prince Eugene told her flatly. He was promptly elbowed in the ribs as the Princess Rapunzel told him to "shush."

"I can only imagine. We hosted two coronations within four years of each other! King Trevor is certainly a force to be reckoned with..." She snickered. "And please, call me Anna."

"The first-name basis is a two-way street," Eugene smiled. "I believe we attended one of the coronations... eighteen years ago?" His eyes widened as he realized how old he was.

"It was the best honeymoon ever!" Rapunzel added. "Arendelle is so beautiful!"

As Anna and Rapunzel started talking excitedly about loving isles by the sea, Horace was struggling with factors beyond his control. Namely, his face and how red it was now that the Queen of Arendelle's daughter, _Anja, was it? _was staring at him.

"Uh, hi," He immediately wanted to hit himself. _That's not how you greet a Princess! _

"Hello," Princess Anja's voice sounded like laughs. Was that possible? Could people sound like laughs?

After a few moments, he was brought back to his circumstances. Instantly his mind started working furiously. He needed conversation material, quick!

"So, um, how are you?" He was getting really good at finding out how talking to a Princess _shouldn't_ be done.

"I'm doing well, and... you?" The Princess paused as she stared at his face. The young Prince quickly realized that his internal cringing at himself had quickly become external.

"I, uh, no! It's something- I mean nothing! Really- I'm fine." he smiled weakly. The Princess just stared at him with a bemused look on her face. Finally, he was relieved of his torture by Queen Anna as she called her daughter up the stairs. A huge sigh escaped from him, and he turned to his parents.

"Really hitting it off with the princess, eh?" Eugene joked as he settled back into position next to Rapunzel. His comment darkened the pink on Horace's face by a few shades. It gradually faded as he steeled himself for the next guest.

As the rest of the afternoon wore on, however, he couldn't get Anja out of his mind. He wondered absent-mindedly if she'd be at the contest tomorrow.

_That will mean she'll get the chance to see me compete._ He smirked and let his mind fly to the dreams of tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Was just scrolling through the Tangled wikis to make sure I have my information correct and realized that I had been misspelling Horace's name! The previous chapters should be updated with the change in spelling. I know this chapter is shorter, but fear not! I have an absolute monster of action and suspense coming next. Just gotta plow through this political dialogue first!

I also saw a comment about this being a GOT parody. I haven't seen that series yet so I have no idea, but I definitely will have some dark point in this story. Let me know if you see more similarities!

Don't forget to leave a review if you'd like!

PS: A Heptagon is a 7-sided polygon.

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"Prince Horrace, the dinner begins in ten minutes," a stately voice informed him from outside his door. The Young Prince's appetite was all but gone as he thought about Anja. Her brilliant blue eyes and red hair were the only things on his mind. His practicing tunic was gone, replaced with a royal purple suit coat sat underneath his royal bandolier embroidered with the Coronian crest, the seven-pronged sun. He quickly checked his breath before sprinting out of his room.

The party hadn't begun yet. It was a Coronian tradition for the royalty to arrive 15 minutes early to hosted events, and Horrace's parents were impatiently pacing the nearly empty dining hall.

"There you are!" Eugene chuckled as Horrace jogged over. "Our son likes to keep things fashionably late."

"Sounds like something he got from you," Rapunzel laughed with him. She always made a point to be thirty minutes _early_.

"Hey mom, hey dad," Horrace panted. "I'm fashionably late to being early, I guess."

"It's ok! I wasn't worried, son," Eugene placed a fatherly hand on Horrace's shoulder. "Your mother, on the other hand..." He gestured to Rapunzel, who was currently trying her best to hide her anxiety.

"What, me? I'm as cool as a- as a... cantaloupe" Rapunzel brushed a short strand of brown hair behind her ear. Unlike Eugene's, it had kept it's sheen and volume perfectly, with no gray in sight.

_I guess those are the benefits of being born with hair from the SUN. _The slightly-graying monarch griped silently.

"It's really okay, mom." Horrace was slightly annoyed just being here. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, I just _worry_-"

"There's nothing for you to worry about! I'm the best swordsman in the city! I can take care of..." Horace's defense ground to a halt as Rapunzel's motherly glare glued his mouth shut.

"I was _trying_ to say that I worry about you not having the freedoms your father and I enjoyed as young adults. I _know _what it's like to be locked up and well..." She cupped his face in her hands. "I just want what's best for you. I tried my hardest with the council, I really did. Please understand..."

Horrace grabbed her hands and brought them down in front of them.

"It's okay, mom. I understand. You don't need to worry!" He shone his best reassuring smile. He was going to show them all that he alone could handle his safety tomorrow.

The smile was enough for Rapunzel, who's green eyes had softened considerably.

"Oh, Horrace. We'll get you a chance to compete eventually. Let me work with the council for the next few months and maybe next year-"

"Mom, it's honestly fine," Horrace gave her hands a quick squeeze and motioned to the three empty seats at the Coronian table. Arranged in a heptagon were tables for every delegation. Across the room, King Fredrick and Queen Arianna of Corona were already chatting in their seats. As the trio approached, the elderly King stood and wrapped his grandson in a warm hug.

"Horrace! My dear boy," He affectionately greeted Horrace. "I'm so glad you could join us!"

"Happy to be here, Grandpa," Horrace bashfully replied, slightly muffled by his Grandfather's vest. "If there's anyone who can make the Griffin smile, it's you two!"

That got a laugh out of the Queen, who pulled him into a bear hug of her own. As the five royals started to chat animatedly about the day's exploits, the guests were beginning to filter into their seats. Two very distinct redheads could be seen making their way to the adjacent table, Queen Anna, and her daughter Princess Anja.

As he spotted them, Horrace started a very thorough search for a mystery item underneath the table. As he tried to talk himself out of the rapidly growing red in his cheeks, he felt a hand on his back. As he peeked backward through the spread, his mom gave him a knowing smile.

He sat up sheepishly, uncharacteristically laser-focused on the announcer reading titles. A knee nudged him from the opposite side, this time from his dad.

"You got this, kiddo. What's a lady ever been to a Fitzherbert?" Eugene gave him a wink. "Isn't that right, Blondi-OW!" He rubbed his thigh from the pain of his wife's silencing kick.

They may have said other things, but Horrace had accidentally crossed an event horizon. The princess of Arendelle had locked eyes with him and was now giving a small wave and smile. He raised his hand to wave back, startling the chameleon who was crossing the tablecloth to get to his partner-for-life.

"Agh! Sorry, Pascal!" He apologized as the lizard caught its breath. Apparently, Pascal had been needed to taste test the _grape gravy_, among other foods, while they were greeting the guests. The green creature let out a forgiving croak and took his place on Rapunzel's shoulder.

Now that the family was complete, Horrace returned his attention to the Princess of Arendelle. She wasn't looking his way, so he took some precious seconds to get a better look at her. Red hair in a tight bun, like her mother, with sea-green eyes to match. Now that he thought more about it, the Princess and her mother looked fairly similar, with the exceptions being her splash of freckles across her cheeks and the absence of the single white strand of hair that her mother possessed.

His chin slipped from his palm and he almost crashed into his plate. As he straightened up rapidly and took a deep breath, the servants started to pass food around. The opening course was turkey, with grapes and sautéed greens. Horrace was famished from spending his entire morning at the training square. He started to eat as fast as was possible while maintaining his manners, pausing as a blur of green crossed his vision.

Lightning-fast reflexes kicked into gear, and Horrace's hand moved just in time to catch a small pea well on its way to collide with his forehead. He looked around, startled to see the princess of his previous speculations giggling behind a napkin. He looked to his sides to make sure the coast was clear and rocketed the pea back with a well-aimed flick. He silently congratulated himself as the projectile struck true, making contact with the freckles and startling their owner. After regaining her composure, the Princess of Arendelle shot him a faux glare. Horrace was about to snicker when he caught sight of the Rochester Delegation staring at the small spectacle.

Hands now firmly in his lap, Horrace stared down at his plate. He had been distracted from the conversation happening in the room. Now that he was listening, he wished that he wasn't.

"What business does Corona have in Pittsford? My people grow weary of your constant patrols." The Griffin was getting straight to the point.

"The royal council thought it best to-"

"The royal council? One would think that you would have control of _your _kingdom, great King. You had better get this council of yours under control or else-"

"I will not allow threats of discord in my dining hall!" His Grandfather's booming voice commanded the attention of the entire hall. "Let this Contest gathering be a celebration of _unity_, rather than your discontent."

A muttered agreement echoed the hall from the other tables. Horrace hazarded a glance towards the Arendelle delegation. The red-haired Queen was rubbing her eyes as she tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

_She's just like mom. _His short-haired mother had never been keen on formal meetings like this. Come to think of it, she was uncharacteristically still. How wasshe still awake right now?

To Horace's left, Eugene let out a small sigh of his own. He was losing 21-22 at under-the-table rock paper scissors. He looked at his wife and made a big show of rolling his eyes. She just smiled back and nudged his hand for another game. Another small sigh and they were back into the fray of quiet competition.

As the night wore on, Horace's eyelids started to droop. Anja was barely trying to hide her mid-dinner nap. Her hands cradled her forehead in a way that blocked her eyes from the view of those around her. He couldn't be sure, but the slow, rhythmic breathing that he observed made it pretty clear that she was sleeping. He decided to copy the position and soon the conversation became mushy and distant...

"Horace?" Eugene elbowed his son lightly.

"Wha- What?" Horace was startled from his nap. _Ouch... _He rubbed at a huge cramp in his neck. Slouch-sleeping had not been a great idea.

"The dinner is done," Eugene chuckled slightly at his son's predicament. "I'll show you how to sleep through meetings the _proper _way next time." As he finished, he whipped around and caught Rapunzel's elbow before it hit his stomach.

"Gotcha," He was laughing harder now.

Horace glanced around the dining hall, and sure enough, it was empty. Servants were finishing the final wiping and mopping.

"How long was I out?" He asked nervously.

"The meeting ended about half an hour ago. We wanted to let you sleep, but I didn't want your cramp to be worse after we let you slouch for a couple more hours." Eugene told him.

"Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom." Horace was still rubbing his sore neck. "I'm gonna head up to bed, I think."

"Sounds like a plan. We need to be rested for the ceremonies tomorrow!" Rapunzel stood up on her toes to hug her son as he started walking to the door.

_You have no idea... _Horace thought as he ascended the stairs.

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End file.
